Tamron supports Sony NEX with E-mount 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III VC

Tamron has announced the 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III VC superzoom for the E-mount used on Sony's NEX cameras. The lens, which comes in two colors, makes it the first third-party manufacturer to offer an autofocus lens for any mirrorless camera system. Unlike the existing, DSLR version, the E-mount lens uses a stepping motor designed specifically for working with contrast-detection AF. The lens offers an image-stabilized 27-300mm equivalent field-of-view on the NEX and comes as an alternative to the Sony 18-200mm. Sales will start in Japan on December 15th.

Innovative lens is lightweight, compact, and features a striking new form factor with two color options.

December 8, 2011, Saitama, Japan – Tamron Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Morio Ono; Headquarters: Saitama City), a leading manufacturer of optical equipment, announced the introduction of an exciting new lens, the 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III** VC (Model B011). The new high-power zoom lens is designed for the Sony E-mount system of its NEX series interchangeable-lens, lightweight and compact digital cameras. Sales in Japan will commence from December 15, 2011.

Product Features

1. High-power 18-200mm*1) lightweight and compact zoom lens weighing 460g with a 62mm filter is designed for the E-mount system of Sony's NEX series mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. Equipped with Tamron's acclaimed VC (Vibration Compensation), the lens enables easy handheld shooting from 18mm wide angle to 200mm full telephoto.

2. Striking appearance worthy of the NEX series design. The metallic lens barrel exterior is available in two colors: black and silver.

* "Mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras" are also known as "Compact System Cameras."

**Di III (Digitally integrated design): A designation Tamron gives to lenses engineered specifically for mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras with no internal mirror box or pentaprism, adopting an optical design that matches the characteristics of the digital camera. (Note: These lenses cannot be used with digital SLR cameras with built-in mirror box or conventional 35mm film SLR cameras).

(*1) As the NEX series cameras (NEX-3, NEX-C3, NEX-5, NEX-5N as of December 8, 2011) have an image sensor equivalent in size to APS-C sensors, the angle of view is 27-300mm when converted to 35mm format.

The 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III VC (Model B011) (referred to below as 18-200mm Di III VC) is a high-power zoom lens, developed by zoom lens pioneer Tamron, for use with the E-mount system of Sony's NEX series compact interchangeable-lens cameras. Tamron brings 19 years of high-power zoom lens development technologies to this product.

Tamron has created a lens that is compact and lightweight, featuring a 62mm filter and weighing only 460g, at the same time delivering superlative image quality. This size allows users to easily enjoy shooting across the whole range - from wide-angle to full telephoto - with just one lens.

Featuring a striking appearance befitting the NEX series design, the lens is available in silver and black. The AF drive has a stepping motor that is optimal for the Contrast-detection AF system employed by NEX series cameras. This has also enabled improvements in AF performance when shooting video. In addition, ease of operation is enhanced with the Direct Manual Focus (DMF) function, which allows the user to make fine manual adjustments after initially focusing by AF.

The focal length coverage is 18-200mm. Converted to the coverage of a the 35mm format, this is equivalent to a range of 27mm wide-angle up to 300mm full telephoto. This allows the user to take wide-angle shots of expansive landscapes and powerful telephoto images that enlarge the details of distant subjects—all with one lens. In addition, by setting the lens at the telephoto end (200mm) and moving in to the minimum focus distance of 0.5m, flower petals, jewelry and other small objects can be shot as expanded close-ups.

Equipped with Tamron's acclaimed VC (Vibration Compensation), and thanks to its light weight and compact size, this lens allows easy handheld shooting of sharp images with no camera shake over a wide range of settings, from everyday snapshots to memorable travel scenes.

This lens was developed, manufactured and will be sold based on the specifications for the E-mount that was disclosed by Sony Corporation under Tamron's license agreement with Sony Corporation.

About the stepping motorThe B011's autofocus mechanism uses a stepping motor that is an ideal match for the Contrast-detection AF system used in Sony's NEX series cameras. The stepping motor's actuator allows finely tuned control of angular rotation, and since it drives the focusing mechanism directly without an intermediate reduction gear, it also provides superbly quiet performance.

VC (Vibration Compensation)Tamron's VC mechanism employs a three-coil system, whereby three driving coils activate the shake-compensating VC lens group electromagnetically via three steel balls. The VC lens elements are held in place only by contact with the steel balls, achieving smooth movement with little friction. This provides a stable viewfinder image with excellent tracking performance that eliminates the blur from handheld shots for cleaner, crisper shots.

About the new VC mechanism (moving coil system)Tamron's conventional VC (Vibration Compensation) unit has a moving magnet system with heavy magnets in the vibration-compensating lens. However, the new VC mechanism adopts a lightweight moving coil system that reduces the load on the drive system. This allows the drive to be operated with smaller coils and magnets, reducing the weight and size for the entire VC unit. In addition, improvements to software and other elements of the VC mechanism used in the 18-200mm Di III VC have made the mechanism even quieter

Tamron 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III VC Specifications

Model

B011

Focal length

18-200mm

Maximum aperture

F/3.5-6.3

Angle of view

(diagonal)

76°10´-8°03´

(horizontal)

66°16´-6°43´

(vertical)

46°51´-4°27´

Lens construction

17 elements in 13 groups

Minimum focus distance

0.5m (throughout zoom range)

Maximum magnification ratio

1:3.7 (at f=200mm: MFD 0.5m)

Filter size

φ62mm (2.4in)

Length*1

96.7mm (3.8in)

Entire Length*2

102.0mm (4.0in)

Diameter

φ68mm (2.7in)

Weight

460g (16.2oz)

No. of diaphragm blades

7

Minimum aperture

F/22 - 40

Standard accessories

Flower-shaped lens hood

Compatible mounts

Sony E-mount

*1. Length is the distance between the mount face and the tip of the lens.

*2. Entire length is the distance between the tip of the lens and the tip of the protrusion.

*The angle of view is calculated based on the latest image sensor size of Sony's NEX series.

*The angle of view of the lens when used for video on the Sony digital HD video camera recorderNEX-VG10 is 32.4 - 360mm when converted to the 35mm format.

■NOTE: When using Continuous AF (AF-C) Mode

-Due to an inherent characteristic of this TAMRON lens, when using the Sports Action mode on Scene Selection, the continuous operation of the focus search function may cause some fluctuation in the LCD monitor image. However, there will be no associated problems on photos taken in this situation.

-In other Shoot Modes (P, A, S, M), when the focus mode is set to Continuous AF (AF-C), the same condition may also arise. There will also be no associated problems on photos taken in this situation.

*As an alternative to either of the above settings, you can change the focus mode to Single-shot AF (AF-S) or Direct Manual Focus (DMF) and continue shooting.

Comments

I have this lens (18-200 VC) with a NEX-7 and, in day light, it works quite well and is sharp. However, for the first time I took it out at night to do some night shooting around a lake with highrises and a church. To put it mildly, every image was out of focus. Yes, the NEX was set to manual and I used manual focusing with peaking on. Most exposures were at ISO 200, f16 and long shutter speeds.

I just tested it from my balcony at night to compare it to the Sony 55-210, same ISO, f stop, speed and manually focused. The Sony was hands down sharper.

Been using an NEX-3 with Sony 18-55 lens for several months and like the combination. It takes good photos and it's compact size easily fits inside the pocket of my lightweight walking jacket. For me this new zoom lens, although not so far from Sony's price, is a welcome Emount addition. To be able to get up close and relatively inconspicuously to subjects and still not lose out on landscape shooting when I need it is my ideal solution in a lens. Sure, it adds to the size of the NEX cameras but I see nothing wrong with carrying the zoom in one pocket and the camera in another. Still much more convenient than hauling a much heavier traditional dSLR either around my neck or in a large pouch.

I intend to purchase one of these lenses and will probably opt for Tamron particularly if that price comes down further but I have a question here before dropping Sony., I've been told that the Tamron IS system is better than the Sony one. Can anyone comment on this

well as a nex5n owner I'm glad to see this lens and hope more follow . I'm looking for a nice vacation all in one lens this and sony's larger flash make a nice vacation kit. Yes I'd like to get a nice reasonable price and fast prime lens in the 30mm range (sorry 900 usd + for the zeiss doesnt make it) hopefully the price will come down a bit after christmas season. But more lens from different manufactors is a good thing. Merry christmas and happy new years everyone!

It's an interchangeable lens camera. You have the option to put whatever you want on it to suit your needs. If you want a superzoom with the exact same IQ as a DSLR with an equivalent lens, mount this on it and it'll still be slightly smaller. If you want something portable, mount the 16mm pancake. If you want equal performance to a DSLR, mount the EVF and LA-EA2 SLT adapter for a-mount lenses and PDAF. A conventional DSLR body won't allow you to take it's EVF, flash and mirror apart like the NEX can.

Straylightrun is correct in pointing out that the Sony NEX is a bit smaller than a comparable DSLR if you use it with a pancake lens. But how often does the average photographer choose the pancake over the big zoom? A fairly small percentage of the time, I would guess. And if you add an EVF to the Sony, now you've got a package that is even bulkier than a DSLR (depending on which lens is attached). I dunno...

Even when Tamron has an essentially rebadged version sold under the Sony (or Minolta) brand, there is often a price difference and in the past there was a substantial difference in the warranty period. In this case, it's not the same lens.

As it is, for slrs/dslrs, etc., many of the third party lenses cover the same focal lengths or zoom ranges as the primary makers, not just unfilled niches. There's more demand for the popular focal lengths, it makes sense to compete where the customer demand is.

If it's optical performance is reasonably good, this should be quite popular with the move-up crowd. It's a popular range with the tourist and general users even if the cognoscenti would prefer something that is more esoteric. My guess is this is a pure sales number driven choice. I wonder how many of the superzooms they sell in various mounts compared to more advanced choices. It's a good start.

It is very good news to see a 3rd party manufacturer produce a lens for the mirrorless camp. Having chosen Sony to begin with gives some insight that the companies have confidence in Sony to bring this format further. And it shows with their progression with NEX.

The lens itself is not the headline news. Usually all-in-one zooms come first for the consumer world, and its not surprisingly that its not stellar. I mean, f6.3 is pushing it. On the other hand, Tamron's VC optical stabilization is very good. I have the 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 SP Di VC USD and it works great, not as smooth or silent as Canon's IS, but just as effective.

"But what is a Konica Minolta lens? There are very few, nearly all were made by Tamron."

that was from the following article, I'm not an expert but I thought KM started rebadging Tamrons and then Sony, who needed a system for their digital cameras, bought KM and continued doing the same. The quote is about 1/2 through the article.

Indeed. First to convince a third party to modify a lens for their mirrorless system. Alas, Tamron never made any 4/3rds lenses if I'm not mistaken, and since the sensor is APS-C they don't have to change the optical design much. Just a different AF drive ... Low hanging fruit, so to speak.

Yes its definitely a new optical design since Tamron doesn't have a 18-200mm lens with VC in any mount. However seeing the high similarities between this lens and the SLR non VC version they seem to be practically the same. Since that lens was a pretty poor performer I hope they have improved the performance of this lens.

Only 10% difference... A bit too close for comfort; and while the VC is one of the best implementations for image stabilization, and the lens is somewhat smaller, I think that the Tamron version will not sell too much. It's much like the Sigma versions of 70-200 and fast 50mm: high price, non-brand => not a success, because people will pick the brand lens.

I wish Tamron, Sony or someone would make a NEX lens like the Lumix G X Vario PZ 14-42mm. This lens retracts and is barely deeper than Panasonic's 20 mm pancake lens. A lens like this makes even more sense for the NEX system - given that bigger lenses are needed to support the larger sensor (relative to 4/3 cameras).http://www.dpreview.com/previews/panasonic_x_14-42_3p5-5p6/

The m4/3 lenses are smaller because the sensor is smaller. The imaging circle is smaller because the aspect ratios of the two formats are different. The m4/3 aspect is closer to the ideal square format.

Constantly debated. There are very few ways to do direct comparisons because most systems/brands only have one or the other. The in-lens fans point out that they claim it works better for longer focal lengths. But since there are few Maxxum/Alpha (etc.) lenses out there over 400-500mm, again there's no real way to compare. In the consumer and most used zoom ranges, say 18mm to 300 or so on aps-c, probably no clear objective advantage. The cost differential seems to have evaporated to a great extent (or could) if one looks to the cost of consumer zooms. There's still a notable difference between say the Canon 70-200/2.8s with and without IS.

Actually the issue is more of a lens design one; in-lens IS must follow some specific optical rules. So lens design is somewhat more limited.

Personally I have found that in tele settings, IBIS is working as advertised; however, at short FLs, it's MUCH better. For me the hypothetical advantage of better IS at longer FLs is massively outweighed by stabilization of my short primes, my fast primes, etc; I'm sad Sony went with in-lens IS for the NEX series.

You may have heard: high sales decides. Nex is losing prospect buyers because of lack of selection of fast and smaller lenses. Regardless of how good the Nex "could be", they aren't producing much results (right now).

Tamron isn't really helping much with this lens, but not everyone will/can spend money on a Canon 70-200 2.8L IS. So they opt for a 3rd party f/4 non-IS lens.

Don't mix "cheap glass" with glass that is still good and "reasonably priced". You don't need a Zeiss 50mm 1.4 to make good portraits of people.

Of course Sony shared the E-mount specs with Tamron. Sony has a 11% share in Tamron and they (Sony) benefit from more NEX-lens support. I wouldn't be surprised if the current non-Zeiss labeled NEX-lenses are all made by Tamron.

If that turns out being the case then it would really be cheesy. It reminds me what Leica did when they painted the M9 with silver paint to make it appear like hard chrome vs the real-deal of the M8. Everything is fake these days ...'Change we can believe in'

I take pics of real estate. So bring on a 10-20mm Zoom (15-30mm)! I'm using the NEX 16mm with .75 WA Adapter but a 10-20mm Zoom would give me a wider view and more flexibility. In fact, it would be perfect for real estate and that lens would do it all.

Yeah it doesn't make sense. Sony has an 18-200 that's pretty solid and the kit is 18-55 and one of the very limited amount of other e mounts is a 55-210. They jumped right in where nobody wants them to jump in. They could have made a lot of money (maybe they will anyway) if they brought something new to the table... disappointing.

Seems like an odd choice considering there are only a handful of E-mount lenses and one of them is already 18-200. If I was calling the shots at Tamron, I would have ported over the 17-50 first. That's a lens that every NEX owner would jump on - not something they can already get.

Wait it's bad to bring an 18-200 when Sony has an 18-200 already, but you're suggesting that a better choice would be a lens that is very similar to the kit lens that most people likely have already? At least with the 18-200 there are a lot of people like me who appreciate seeing a potentially cheaper option -- even if just a bit.

To many people interested in these kinds of cutesy cameras, 17-50 is not that different than 18-55. To them it's F what? I'm pretty sure Tamron put some thought into it before choosing the 18-200 as their first design (i.e. that's where the money is). As for me, I'd like to see something like a 16-105 (16-200 if possible).

It is too bad that the 18 - 105 or 18 - 135 range is not popular enough for the 3-rd party lens makers to produce them, even very few brand lenses in this range out there. Lighter build and who needs 300mm on a walkaround lens anyway?

Also, Tammy/Sigma already have lenses for a 1.5 crop. IQ will be interesting, though, given that Sony itself struggles to get out lenses with great IQ on the e-mount (a mount is a different story, of course).

I think because Sony has been slow to the table with quality glass for the Nex it opens the door for others to jump in and make some money. Panny and Oly have done a good job of getting high quality glass out so not as much room for others to make a lot of money filling holes in the line-up.

Well Sigma had announced some time back that they WERE developing MFT, and while Olympus and Panasonic have get lenses out, I think that have fallen short in terms of who they aim lenses at. Not many people could justify the cost of the 7-14 Panasonic, and Sigma could fit well in to the lineup with more realistically prices lenses.

if Sigma released a 30/1.4 AF for e-mount, that would be all goodness for NEX. Again, though, we'd have to see the IQ. I bet that lens would be REALLY soft on a NEX wide open, unless they do some significant re-engineering.

Isn't the real news here not the particulars of this lens but the fact that a third party has produced any lens that autofocuses on the e-mount, not to mention one that provides stabilization from someone other than the original manufacturer. If Tamron can do it, then surely Sigma and maybe another should have more e-mount AF lenses in the offing. This competition and choice makes the NEX platform even more attractive and should make Sony feel good about its decision to open the NEX platform.

As for those who complain about the size of this particular lens, isn't that mostly a constraint created by use of APS-C sensor, which has significant benefits too? Sure, I'd like an 16-300 pancake (f/1.4 of course) but in the interim I'm happy to see the beginning of what I suspect is more variety and somewhat reduced pricing in the e-mount field.

Holy cow...look at the size of that thing. You'll be carrying the lens rather than the camera. I guess that's my whole turn-off for the NEX system - the big lenses. I'm liking my Nikon V1 decision more every day.

I guess you're offended that someone puts down a camera you like? Don't take it so personally :-) If you want the 10-100 on a V1 or J1, then you may as well buy a m4/3 system or NEX. The kit lenses for the Nikon 1 are smaller than the kit lenses for the NEX (by quite a bit) and that's what I only intend to use (because they're small). If I want a better camera overall, I still have a D700...so no worries ;-)

So based on the size of this lens, your turn off for the NEX system and admiration for the Nikon 1 system is validated again? Have one more look at the heavier and larger Nikon 1 equivalent of the above lens.

And as for holding a lens, that's what you do when you mount a long and heavy tele lens on the average DSLR too. Actually, with the lack of a decent grip on the Nikon 1 system, I hope people will be gripping those lenses tightly aswell. ;)

For the life of me, I don't know who would want to use the 10-100 Nikkor on the Nikon 1 either. If the point is to have a small camera, then using the 10-100 Nikon, 14-140 Panasonic, etc, etc (insert overly large lens for mirrorless camera here) defeats that purpose. You may as well use a real DSLR and get better handling, controls and in some cases (depending on the sensor) much better image quality. I like the small Nikon 1 kit lenses because they keep the total package small. Sort of like Panasonic's new X lenses.

Re: Nikon 10-100 size: I suppose not everybody needs petite handbag cameras and lenses. Some people don't mind as they are shooting off of a tripod anyway. I don't understand this mad rush to downsize. The people who want the ultimate quality are still using a 70-200 2.8 with a proper tripod collar. If you want everything to be small and have a f5.6 max aperture, then you have many choices. But if left up to the small crowd, soon we'll all be carrying Minox sized cameras.

No it's not pointless. The point is that you have a choice. The choice to keep the system compact on certain outings, or mount a superzoom that gives a great allround video performance too if size is less important for certain outings. All with one body. A DSLR can't do both.

They do make them. Samsung has a great mirrorless lineup that currently includes 16/2.4, 20/2.8, and 30/2 pancakes, a compact 20-50mm, and an upcoming 55/1.8 pancake (rumor early 2012). The also have the larger lenses like a beauty of an 85mm f/1.4, 60mm f/2.8 macro, 18-200, 18-55, and 50-200. A bunch of new lenses next year too.

" This lens was developed, manufactured and will be sold based on the specifications for the E-mount that was disclosed by Sony Corporation under Tamron's license agreement with Sony Corporation"Very good news!

I am interested in the lens doing the job. I think it is close to ideal to have a large lens on a small camera like the NEX. I don't need it in my pocket all the time. I'd like to try some birding with the Sony Alpha SAL 70-400 and the LAEA2 on a NEX7. I'm only concerned that the lens quality might not be good enough for the sensor. A tripod or monopod would make this manageable and the tilting screen would make it easier to work with than a DSLR. Oh, and GPS so I'd know where I had found the bird.

Sounds like a logical step for Tamron, ie they are very successful in making & selling this type of lens, so why not for the E mount.Did you know it was Tamron who makes (or made) the Nikon 70-300mm VR lens. Once the licence agreement between them & Nikon finished, voila - they produced their own 70-300mm VC lens which is almost identical in size, shape etc - but with their own VC technology & glass.